‘Create a safe word’ to avoid clearing an AI phone call on your phone

SMARTPHONE owners have been warned about a new wave of scam calls using artificial intelligence to imitate familiar voices.

According to a recent blog post from Keeper Security, cybercriminals are now using AI to trick victims into divulging personal information.

Known as deepfakes, this cloning technology works by replicating the voices of friends, family, and even customer service representatives.

HOW DO AI VOICE SCAMS WORK?

AI voting fraud is based on a two-step process: vote cloning and social engineering.

First, scammers acquire a sample of the voice of the target’s loved one.

This can be done in a variety of ways, including recording a phone call, extracting audio from social media posts, or even synthesizing speech from text messages.

With the voice sample in hand, scammers use AI voice cloning technology to create a near-perfect replica.

This is thanks to deepfake technology, which can analyze the pitch, cadence and even emotional inflections of the voice.

Once the voice is cloned, the scammer initiates the social engineering attack.

They call the target and use the cloned voice to build trust and rapport.

In some cases, the scammer claims to be a family member who is in a bad financial situation and needs money for an emergency.

In grandparent deepfake scams, the bad actors even pose as a grandchild under arrest and say they need money for bail.

They can use details from social media profiles or past conversations to make their impersonation even more believable.

HOW TO STAY SAFE

Although AI voting fraud is a sophisticated threat, there are steps you can take to protect yourself.

The first thing you can do is be wary of unexpected phone calls, as scammers often take advantage of the element of surprise.

If you get a call from an unknown number or a known number with an unusual story, be careful.

You should not assume that a call is legitimate just because the voice sounds like someone you know.

In addition, if you receive a call from someone claiming to be from a company or organization, hang up and call them back on a number that you know is a legitimate number.

Do not rely on caller ID as scammers can spoof phone numbers.

It can also be helpful to create a safe word with family and friends, Keeper Security noted.

Establishing a secret code or phrase with your loved ones can be used to verify each other’s identities during suspicious calls.

If someone claiming to be a family member or friend can’t give the safe word, that’s a sign that something is wrong.

Many phone carriers also offer call blocking features that allow you to block unwanted calls.

Additionally, scammers can sometimes collect voice samples from social media posts, so be mindful of what you share online.